It’s been a busy year for the heavy-duty aftermarket. With the age of the nation’s fleet still high, fleets are spending a lot of money to keep trucks on the road. Given the importance of maintenance and repair, we'll recap some of the key issues that affected fleets in this area in 2014.

With the growth of all-makes (often referred to as private label or value line) parts programs, fleets have more choices than ever for fulfilling their parts needs. But do these programs offer real choices or just muddy the parts purchasing landscape?

Trucks are on the road much longer than they used to be, and that translates into a greater demand and investment in parts, service, and ongoing maintenance. Which means parts purchasing decisions more important than ever.

Phony designer handbags…fake Rolex watches…buy these without realizing it and you’ll undoubtedly overpay for inferior products. Your wallet and your ego will both take a hit, but you’ll survive. But if you purchase fake aftermarket truck parts, the results can be disastrous.

The Massachusetts state legislature passed the nation's first "Right to Repair" law last summer, but it excluded vehicles over 10,000 pounds. However, in November, state voters overwhelmingly approved a different version of the law, which includes all motor vehicles sold in the state.

Consolidation, more proprietary parts and increased competition are squeezing margins for those who sell heavy-duty truck parts. Industry experts are on the record saying that in the future, aftermarket parts distributors need to have service as part of their business if they want to remain profitable.